Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

Editor-in-Chief

Matt Thurber

European aerial emergency services operator Avincis has agreed to a letter of intent for the purchase of five McDermott Aviation 214ST medium twin-turbine utility helicopters for aerial firefighting and other missions.
Based in Queensland, Australia, McDermott Aviation owns the type certificate for the Bell 214B and 214ST and operates more than 60 aircraft, including fifteen 214Bs and fourteen 214STs. The company’s bases across Australia and the Pacific provide aerial firefighting, heavy lifting, agricultural spraying, infrastructure support, emergency response, tourism, and training services.
Avincis plans to add the new 214STs to its firefighting fleet in Europe, which has had a busy summer season. The company completed more than 12,600 firefighting flight hours and nearly 5,400 missions in Spain, Portugal, and Italy through July 31, dropping more than 225 million liters (roughly 60 million gallons) of water.&nbsp;
Powered by two 1,625-shp GE CT7-2A engines, the 214ST can carry up to 3,000 kg (about 6,600 pounds) of useful load and a maximum external load of 3,582 kg. It can fly up to 4.1 hours and cruise at 120 knots.
“These five aircraft give Avincis another powerful option within our integrated fleet,” said Avincis group CEO John Boag. “The 214ST’s lift, endurance, and hot-and-high performance will strengthen our rotary-wing response, while its utility capability will allow us to deploy the aircraft across a wider range of critical missions throughout the year.”

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Avincis Orders Five McDermott 214ST Helicopters for Firefighting, Utility Missions

Medium twin-engine rotorcraft will supplement European firefighting operations

Avincis plans to add the new McDermott 214STs to its firefighting fleet in Europe, which has had a busy summer season.

Avincis Orders Five McDermott 214ST Utility Helicopters

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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